Department of Health and Social Care

Meat Products: Preservatives

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when her Department expects the Food Safety Agency to conclude its assessment of the EU Commission’s decision to lower the legal limits on nitrites in processed meat products; and whether she plans to publish that assessment.

Andrea Leadsom: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) considers that existing levels of nitrites and nitrates in the United Kingdom are sufficiently protective for consumers, and they remain important preservatives in a range of foods that control a range of harmful micro-organisms. However, as with all additives, this remains under review. Given the European Union’s changes to levels, the FSA wishes to ensure there are no unintended food safety consequences. The FSA is engaging with stakeholders across the United Kingdom to understand the implications of the EU changes on nitrates in processed meat, cheese and fish products and any impacts they may have on industry. It is necessary to understand the ability of industry to reformulate to meet the various transition periods, whilst ensuring foods remain safe. This will support formulation of a UK position on the EU changes.

Continuing Care

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications for NHS continuing healthcare were (a) made and (b) successful in (i) Preston, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) England in each of the last three years.

Helen Whately: We have interpreted this as the number of new referrals and the number assessed as eligible across Standard and Fast Track NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), from 2020/21 to 2022/23. The following table shows the overall number of applicants and successful applicants to CHC in Lancashire and South Cumbria, Greater Preston, and England: EnglandLancashire and South CumbriaGreater PrestonApplicants in 2020/21129,3884,521448Successful applicants in 2020/2183,3642,944277Applicants in 2021/22162,5817,202702Successful applicants in 2021/22106,9375,270506Applicants in 2022/23171,6647,158720Successful applicants in 2022/23112,8335,165518 This data is also published online, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/

Minimum Wage

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations relating to minimum wage for early years and elder care in the University of Manchester report entitled Working Futures, published in October 2023.

Helen Whately: The Department has made no assessment of the recommendations in the report.

Dentistry: Burton

Kate Kniveton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists have been recruited in Burton and Uttoxeter since the launch of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Andrea Leadsom: The Long-Term Workforce plan was published in June 2023 and the data on the number of Dentists in each integrated care board for 2023/24 is expected to be available from August.The NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. The focus is not short-term recruitment but putting workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term.We will expand dentistry training places by 40% so that there are over 1,100 places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.

Members: Correspondence

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 30 November 2023 and (b) 10 January 2024 from the hon. Member for Lewisham East, case reference JD39544.

Andrea Leadsom: The department has received the correspondence from the hon. Member and has provided a response in PO-1484241. With apologies, this case was delayed as part of our continued backlog of cases following the pandemic and we are currently working through an urgent recovery plan to resolve this.

Department of Health and Social Care: Ministerial Boxes

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to her Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.

Andrew Stephenson: No ministerial red boxes have been reported either lost or stolen in the Department within the last three years. If this were to occur, the Departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. Additionally, if appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.

Pharmacy

Vicky Ford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate pharmacy provision.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department monitors changes to the market closely to understand patient access to pharmaceutical services within the National Health Service. The law requires that every three years, local authority Health and Wellbeing Boards undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments to identify if there is a need for improvement or better access to services in the local areas. Contractors can apply to open a pharmacy where there is a gap or a need for improved access to services or if they can make a case for providing other benefits to the local communities. When their usual local pharmacy closes, patients can choose to access any of the remaining pharmacies nearby. Patients can also choose to access NHS pharmaceutical services remotely through any of the approximately 400 internet pharmacies in England, which are contractually required to deliver medicines to patients’ home address free of charge.There were 10,673 pharmacies on 31 December 2023 providing NHS services in England. Access remains good with 80% of the population living within 20 minutes walking distance of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas of the country.

Dentistry: Higher Education

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of students studying dentistry in universities in England and Wales in the 2023-24 academic year.

Andrea Leadsom: The Office for Students (OfS) collects and publishes data on the intakes to dentistry degrees in England and Wales. Initial figures from the OfS suggest that, in the 2023/24 academic year, 805 students began dentistry degrees in England, and 70 students began dentistry degrees in Wales. The Department does not hold further information on the overall number of students studying dentistry at universities in England and Wales in the 2023/24 academic year.

NHS: Pathology

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there has been a change in the number of qualified pathologists working in the NHS since 2020.

Andrew Stephenson: The following table shows the number of Full-time Equivalent (FTE) doctors working in pathology specialties by grade, in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England in October 2020 and October 2023, as well as the change since 2020:FTEOctober 2020October 2023Change since October 2020Consultants2,8222,957136 (4.8%)Specialty and Specialist doctors221324103 (46.7%)Specialty Registrar1,1651,292128 (11.0%)Core Training23430470 (30.0%)Source: NHS Digital Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce StatisticsNotes:The table includes all doctors working in the specialty group of pathology plus doctors working in the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England.We have provided pathologist numbers by grade to reflect the varying levels of experience and qualification held.

Hospitals and Schools: Asbestos

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of commencing a long term programme to remove asbestos from all (a) schools and (b) hospitals.

Andrew Stephenson: Individual National Health Service organisations are legally responsible for maintaining their estates. NHS England continues to work with trusts to ensure their estates are a safe environment for patients and staff. Where asbestos may pose a safety risk, such as when disturbed during building works, experts are brought in to safely dispose of it.The Health and Safety Executive regulates schools’ compliance with legislation to manage their asbestos safely and the Department for Education follows their advice that, provided asbestos-containing materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, it is generally safest to manage them in place. The Department for Education supports schools in managing asbestos by providing capital funding, delivering rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.

Maternity Services: Safety

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that maternity and neonatal safety improvement schemes include a focus on mitigating the effects of inequalities.

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of maternity and neonatal safety improvement schemes on mitigating the effects of inequalities in perinatal deaths.

Maria Caulfield: In March 2023, NHS England published its three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. This sets out how the National Health Service will make maternity and neonatal care more equitable, as well as safer and more personalised.The three-year delivery plan is based on evidence, including the impact on inequalities where available, and wide consultation. NHS England is tracking the impact on maternity and neonatal outcomes based on ethnicity and deprivation.A central ambition of the delivery plan is to reduce inequalities in access, experience and outcomes for women and babies. This is being delivered through the implementation of Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems equity and equality action plans and advocating a proportionate universalism approach, alongside targeted service models designed to reduce inequalities, including enhanced midwifery continuity of carer and culturally sensitive genetics services for high need areas.NHS England is also providing training and resources for all maternity and neonatal staff, so they can deliver culturally competent and sensitive care. This includes access to cultural competence training, developed in partnership with the Royal College of Midwives, and provision of clinical training aids to support care for women and babies with black or dark skin. In November 2023, NHS England offered £50,000 funding to each NHS England regional team in England to implement ethnic minority workforce training to upskill staff and promote more equitable experience for service users.In January 2024, the NHS Race and Health Observatory launched the Learning and Action Network in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Health Foundation. The Learning and Action Network will utilise an anti-racism approach to quality improvement to drive clinical transformation and enable system-wide change. It will work with nine healthcare systems to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes.Additionally, the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) national maternity inspection programme, which completed in December 2023, looked at how services are addressing inequalities in maternity care through a safety and leadership lens. The CQC will be reporting on their findings from the inspection programme later this year and will include findings relating to inequalities.

Operating Theatres: Fires

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to update the National Standards for Safety in Invasive Procedures to improve the information held on surgical fires.

Maria Caulfield: In January 2023, the Centre for Perioperative Care published, following consultation, revised National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures. These national standards specifically cover all invasive procedures and include a requirement for local fire safety policies to minimise the risk of surgical fires and to contain a management plan in the event of one occurring.

Operating Theatres: Fires

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many operating theatre related fires have been reported in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022 and (d) 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The information is not held in the format requested. Any unexpected or unintended incident which could have or did lead to harm to one or more patients can be recorded on the Learn from Patient Safety Events (LFPSE) service, to support local and national learning. This would include surgical fires and burns. Recording onto LFPSE is a voluntary process, except where reporting to NHS England fulfils duties for other statutory mandatory requirements, such as reporting notifiable incidents to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). NHS England shares all such data with the CQC. Notifiable incidents include events resulting in serious harm or the death of a service user, and therefore the most serious surgical fires or surgical burns are subject to mandatory reporting. However, providers are encouraged to record all patient safety incidents, irrespective of the level of harm, to support local and national learning.

Social Services: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support social care staff to progress in their (a) careers and (b) pay through the care workforce pathway.

Helen Whately: The recently published care workforce pathway provides, for the first time, a national career structure for the adult social care sector that defines role categories and supports care workers in their professional development and to progress in their careers. To support the implementation of the pathway the Government is also providing funding for thousands of training places and is developing a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification for the sector.

Carers

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing carers' permits to support carers to (a) keep in contact with and (b) accompany patients in care settings.

Helen Whately: In order to strengthen the requirements around visiting and accompanying in a range of health and care settings, we recently introduced legislation to make visiting and accompanying a Care Quality Commission fundamental standard of care. Settings will be inspected against this standard, which will come into force on 6 April 2024.

Parkinson's Disease: Carers

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will issue guidance to care settings on how to (a) support and (b) maintain contact between Parkinsons’ patients and their family members and carers.

Helen Whately: Visits from loved ones are vital to the health and wellbeing of people receiving care in care homes, hospitals and hospices. In December 2023, the Government laid before Parliament the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which adds visiting and accompanying as a new fundamental standard for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to inspect care and health settings against. These regulations will come into force on 6 April 2024.The CQC is now consulting on its proposed guidance for this legislation, which will help the health and social care sector understand and meet the new standard on visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals, and hospices and their roles and responsibilities under it. The guidance also sets out what people using health and social care services and their families, friends or advocates can expect. The consultation can be found at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/about-us/how-we-involve-you/consultations/consultation-our-guidance-visiting-care-homes-hospitals-and-hospices

Dementia: Continuing Care

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps with NHS England to help improve support for people with dementia who have (a) cognitive, (b) behavioural and (c) other care needs through the continuing healthcare funding process.

Helen Whately: NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) may be appropriate for some adults with dementia who have the highest levels of complex, intense or unpredictable needs, and who have been assessed as having a primary health need. Public information leaflets are already available on GOV.UK, explaining the process used to determine whether someone is eligible for CHC.NHS England has commissioned an information and advice service for CHC from Beacon to provide independent and high-quality support on navigating CHC assessments, resolution and care planning or to begin an appeal. It is available at the following link: https://beaconchc.co.uk/how-we-can-help/free-information-and-advice-on-nhs-continuing-healthcare/ In addition, the Department has produced guidance on what to expect from health and care services following a dementia diagnosis.

Mental Illness: Social Security Benefits

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on social security support for people with a mental health care plan.

Maria Caulfield: Ministers hold discussions with other ministerial colleagues regularly on a range of issues. Entitlement to social security support through welfare benefits is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions and is based on an individual’s circumstances. We are currently working with stakeholders to develop a tool which will potentially better support policymakers across Whitehall to examine the impact of their proposals on people’s mental health.

Measles: North West

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of measles cases there are in (a) St Helens and (b) the North West.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency publishes routine data on laboratory confirmed measles. As provided in the latest published data between 1 January 2023 and 30 November 2023 there have been eight laboratory confirmed cases in the North West.Monthly cases by age and region are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-epidemiology-2023/confirmed-cases-of-measles-in-england-by-month-age-and-region-2023This routine report does not include a breakdown of cases by local authority due to small numbers and the risk of deductive disclosure.

Veteran: Hearing Impairment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to re-establish the Veterans Hearing Fund.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on integrating commissioning for veteran-specific hearing (a) treatments and (b) equipment in the NHS.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Veterans Hearing Fund.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the closure of the Veterans Hearing Fund on NHS auditory services.

Maria Caulfield: The Veterans' Hearing Fund was a time-limited fund set up in 2015 to provide support for veterans with noise induced hearing loss and to provide equipment not available on the National Health Service to support veterans’ wellbeing needs, such as peripheral devices to connect to televisions and telephones. This fund has now closed and there are currently no plans to re-establish it. Commissioning of general hearing services and audiology takes place at a local level, based on the needs of the local population.The Department has not made any assessment of the effectiveness of the Veterans’ Hearing Fund, however following its closure, we have worked with NHS England to ensure that there is no gap in provision and support for those who relied on this Fund to support their clinical needs.No discussions have been held between my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Defence on integrating commissioning for veteran-specific hearing treatments and equipment in the NHS. The Government has not made any assessment of the impact of the closure of the Veterans Hearing Fund on NHS auditory services.Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups was published in July 2016. This framework supported the former clinical commissioning groups and the newly established integrated care boards in England to make informed decisions on maximising value for local populations and provide consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.

Breast Cancer: Health Education

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to launch a national awareness campaign on breast screening.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department is currently exploring opportunities for national campaigns to support positive outcomes on women’s health. Work is underway to scope the feasibility of running a national campaign to support breast screening uptake, and this will be informed by pilot activity due to run in London in 2024/25.

Esketamine

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chief Executive of NHS England on the (a) procurement of and (b) supply chain for Esketamine.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the NHS has an adequate supply of Esketamine for use in clinical settings.

Andrew Stephenson: Whilst there have been no recent discussions with NHS England on the procurement or supply of esketamine, the Department is aware that the supplier of esketamine solution for injection discontinued this product in the United Kingdom in June 2023. We have worked with suppliers to ensure that alternative products are made available and we have spoken with specialist importers, who have advised that they could source unlicensed imports of esketamine, if needed.The Department has well-established procedures to deal with supply issues and works closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others to manage supply issues and prevent shortages, helping to resolve any issues as soon as they arise. We work with the NHS to share information about supply issues and guidance for healthcare professionals on how to manage patients whilst there is a disruption to supply.

Liver Diseases: North West

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate she has made of the rate of liver disease in (a) St Helens North constituency and (b) the North West.

Andrew Stephenson: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) publishes Liver Disease profiles that compare local areas within England. Data for the prevalence of liver disease is not collected. The profiles provide liver disease mortality and hospital admissions rates for areas to assess their local level of disease.The profiles do not publish data by constituency; however, the profile does publish data for local authorities. For St. Helens Metropolitan District Council, the rate of mortality during 2021 from liver disease was 31.3 (23.4 to 40.9) per 100,000 population aged under 75 years old. In 2021/22, the hospital admission rate due to liver disease was 196.8 (150.9 to 246.4) per 100,000 population across all ages.For the North West region, the rate of mortality during 2021 from liver disease was 29.3 (28.0 to 30.7) per 100,000 population aged under 75 years old. The regional rate was significantly higher than the England mortality rate of 21.2 per 100,000 and was the highest regional rate in England. In 2021/22, the hospital admission rate due to liver disease was 160.6 (154.5 to 166.7) per 100,000 population across all ages in the North West region. The regional rate was significantly higher than the England hospital admission rate of 150.6 per 100,000 and was the fourth highest regional rate in England.

Esketamine

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the efficacy of Esketamine in treating people with rare neurological conditions.

Andrew Stephenson: Currently, authorised Esketamine products are not licenced specifically intended for treating people with rare neurological conditions. Before new medicines intended to treat a specific condition can be placed onto the United Kingdom market, they must first receive approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via the granting of a marketing authorisation (MA), commonly known as a product licence. The MHRA reviews all MA applications it receives, assessing each new medical product for its safety, quality, and efficacy in treating a condition.It is for an applicant, namely the drug manufacturer, to apply for a MA for a medicinal product, and the MHRA does not and cannot actively seek these applications for submission.

Aspirin

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will bring forward legislation to regulate the sale of aspirin.

Andrew Stephenson: The sale of aspirin is already regulated under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Regulation 221 of these regulations specifies the pack sizes that can be sold without a prescription. Regulation 236 specifies the maximum amount of tablets that can be sold, currently set as 100 tablets, before it becomes a prescription only item.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also has best practice guidance on the sale of medicines for pain relief for retailers, recommending a maximum sale of two packs. This is entirely voluntary, although it was agreed with the British Retail Consortium, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956857/Appendix_4.pdfThe MHRA is currently working with the British Retail Consortium to raise awareness of the guidance, why we have it in place, and how we can improve it to meet current retailing practice.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the list of medical conditions which meet the criteria for a medical exemption certificate.

Andrea Leadsom: Approximately 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge. People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis. For those who do not qualify for an exemption, prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) allow people to obtain as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost. A three-monthly PPC or an annual PPC will save people money if they need four or more items in three months or 12  or more items in 12 months.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an estimate of the daily volume of aid required to pass through the Rafah crossing to meet the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

David Rutley: Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza beyond Rafah and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.We want Israel to extend the opening hours and capacity of the Nitzana screening facility and Kerem Shalom checkpoint so more trucks, aid and fuel can enter Gaza. We also want Israel to open Ashdod Port as a route for aid to reach Gaza, and open the Erez Crossing to allow direct access to the north of Gaza.The Foreign Secretary discussed the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza to alleviate the desperate situation there with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 24 January.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the sanctions mechanisms provided for under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

David Rutley: In response to Iran's non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), the UK maintained sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran's nuclear programme, as well as trade restrictions including an arms embargo, that were due to lift in October 2023 under the JCPoA's terms. We are prepared to use all diplomatic options to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, including triggering the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 'snapback' mechanism, if necessary.

Darfur: Sanctions

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to work with partners to address violations of the UN sanctions regime on Darfur detailed in the final report of the Panel of Experts as considered by the Committee established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1591 on 15 January 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes and agrees with the Panel of Experts' recommendations. We look forward to the publication of its final report. The UK expects all countries to comply with existing UN sanctions and continues to work closely with partners in the UN Security Council to enforce these.

Arms Trade: Exports

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the (a) UK's arms exports licensing process and (b) role of the export control joint unit in the context of arms sent to (i) Israel, (ii) Saudi Arabia and (iii) nations alleged to have breached international humanitarian law.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. Export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria - a regime that is among the most rigorous and transparent in the world and which provides a thorough risk assessment framework, including in respect of International Humanitarian Law. The Export Control Joint Unit administers our system of export controls and brings together policy and operational expertise from the Department for Business and Trade, FCDO and the Ministry of Defence. All export licences are kept under careful, continuous review and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, where they are inconsistent with the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

Sudan: Sanctions

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he is taking steps to assess the adequacy of UK sanctions in relation to the evidence of proxy companies detailed in the final report of the Panel of Experts, as considered by the Committee established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1591 on 15 January 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The sanctions which I announced in my Written Ministerial Statement of 12 July 2023 were designed to stop financing of the brutal conflict in Sudan. We are looking carefully at the contents of the Panel of Experts' report, subject to its final publication. Although we do not speculate on future designations, our sanctions policy is continually under review.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Caribbean and Latin America

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the then Secretary of State's tour of the Caribbean and Latin America in May 2023, whether an assessment was made of the feasibility of travelling by commercial airline.

David Rutley: Travelling commercially would not have achieved this trip within the time allocated. Foreign travel is a vital part of diplomacy. It is in the national interest that the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers travel abroad to pursue UK interests. Value for money is taken into account in all travel decisions.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Caribbean and Latin America

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will publish the list of passengers on-board the then Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's plane during his tour of the (a) Caribbean and (b) Latin America in May 2023.

David Rutley: In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, only passengers who are senior officials are published. This information can be found on the FCDO quarterly transparency data return on GOV.UK

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.

David Rutley: No refurbishments have been undertaken to Ministerial Offices in the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Caribbean and Latin America

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the then Secretary of State's tour of the Caribbean and Latin America in May 2023, what travel options other than Embraer Lineage 1000E were available; what the comparative cost of those options was to Embraer Lineage 1000E; and for what reason Embraer Lineage 1000E was selected as the chosen means of travel.

David Rutley: Government aircraft assets were explored but unavailable. The charter aircraft was selected as the most efficient and value for money asset for the Foreign Secretary and travelling delegation to undertake the visit. Foreign travel is a vital part of diplomacy. It is in the national interest that the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers travel abroad to pursue UK interests. Value for money is taken into account in all travel decisions

Venezuela: Oil

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Venezuelan counterpart on the potential impact of not allowing the Opposition candidate to run on the export of its oil to the UK.

David Rutley: In line with several other countries, the UK continues not to accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan regime's decision to bar opposition leader, María Corina Machado, from holding public office is contrary to democratic principles. We believe it is vital for opposition candidates to be able to stand for election and continue to call for a more open political environment. We have registered our concern regarding the situation of Maria Corina Machado and other opposition candidates who remain barred from public office. We continue to encourage all parties concerned to do everything necessary to restore democracy and hold fair and competitive presidential elections in 2024, in line with the Bridgetown Agreement of October 2023. Venezuela's oil is currently not exported to the UK.

Venezuela: Non-governmental Organisations

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his Venezuelan counterpart on the potential impact of the Law on Control, Regularization, Operations and Financing of Non-Governmental and Related Organisation on independent NGOs in the country.

David Rutley: In line with several other countries, the UK continues not to accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro. The UK firmly supports the right of civil society to operate freely in all countries, including Venezuela. We remain concerned about the worrying deterioration of the human rights situation in Venezuela. The Maduro regime continues to stifle media freedom, carry out arbitrary detentions and harass journalists and human rights defenders. The UK is closely monitoring the proposed law on control, regularization, operations and financing of non-governmental and related organisations, which would limit further the civil and democratic space. We raised our concern about the proposed bill at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2023. We urge the Venezuelan regime to undertake constructive dialogue with civil society to ensure that the proposed law is compatible with freedom of association, freedom of expression and the right to political participation.

South Africa: Antisemitism and Crime

Sir Michael Ellis: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's travel advice for South Africa, in the context of (a) recent trends in levels of crime in South Africa and (b) the case of cricketer David Teeger.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are aware of the high levels of crime in South Africa and have reflected this in our Travel Advice. FCDO's Travel Advice is constantly under review and regularly updated to ensure the safety of British Nationals travelling to and living in South Africa.We are also aware of the case involving David Teeger and the concerns that have been raised about this case.

UK Special Representative for Climate Change

Olivia Blake: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the lack of a Special Representative on Climate Change on his Department's policies.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Senior representation on climate and environment has grown significantly since the creation of the FCDO, and expanded further since the UK's COP Presidency including two dedicated directors leading on climate and environment, and on energy security respectively.Since 2011 we have directly supported over 100 million people in coping with the effects of climate change, provided just under 70 million people with improved access to clean energy, and reduced or avoided greenhouse gas emissions by 86 million tonnes.

Gaza: Israel

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10673 on Israel: Gaza, whether his Department has logged alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in its military engagement in Gaza since October 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We act in accordance with that advice.As the Foreign Secretary has said, Israel has the capability and commitment to act within IHL. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected.

Gaza: Israel

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of advice he has received on Israel's compliance with international law.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and act in accordance with that advice, for example when considering export licenses.As the Foreign Secretary has said, Israel has the capability and commitment to act within IHL, but we are also deeply concerned about the impact on the civilian population in Gaza. We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to be respected and civilians to be protected.

Standing Together

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of Standing Together, the Israeli grassroots movement.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Foreign Secretary and officials from the FCDO have not met with representatives from 'Standing Together'. We seek to engage with a wide range of partners and stakeholders on issues relating to Israel and the OPTs.

Sudan: Crimes against Humanity

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what further steps he plans to take with international partners to support accountability for alleged violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity detailed in the final report of the Panel of Experts as considered by the Committee established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1591 on 15 January 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to take a leading role in supporting processes for justice and accountability in Sudan. On 11 October 2023, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the UK-led 'Sudan Core Group' resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission. This will support future accountability efforts in Sudan. The UK is also funding open-source investigation experts to use satellite and social media to verify and preserve information relating to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Red Sea: Piracy

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on (a) humanitarian supply deliveries and (b) sea-borne trade through Port Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Houthis' unacceptable and illegal actions, which threaten freedom of navigation, are disrupting sea-borne trade through Port Sudan. Existing blockages to the delivery of humanitarian assistance including bureaucratic barriers, looting of supplies and attacks on aid convoys must stop. We continue to call on both sides of the conflict in Sudan to abide by their responsibilities under International Law, protect civilians and to grant immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access, so that aid can reach those who need it.

Ethiopia: Forced Marriage

Ruth Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has taken steps with international partners to address the incidence of forced marriage of young girls and women from religious minorities in Ethiopia; and whether he has had recent discussions with his Ethiopian counterpart on this issue.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to stepping up our international leadership on child marriage, to give girls a greater say over their bodies and futures. We are a champion of the UN Global Programme to End Child Marriage and we have supported over 140,000 adolescent girls in Ethiopia with interventions to prevent and respond to child marriage.

Tigray: Food Supply and Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Ethiopia on (a) peace and security and (b) food security in the Tigray region.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Conflict, drought, and economic challenges are exacerbating humanitarian crises across Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. His Majesty's Ambassador to Ethiopia frequently discusses these issues with interlocutors in the Government of Ethiopia, including how best the UK can support peace and security. The UK is scaling up our response to escalating humanitarian needs across Ethiopia, with an expansion of our nutrition, health, water and sanitation, and protection support across the country, including in Tigray, through UN, NGO and Red Cross partners.

Malawi: Cholera

Patrick Grady: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help provide humanitarian support following the recent outbreak of cholera in Malawi.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK was a key partner during Malawi's worst ever cholera outbreak in 2022/23, disbursing emergency funds, deploying an Emergency Medical Team and leveraging additional funding from other donors in support of the Government of Malawi's response. Although numbers are much reduced this cholera season, The BHC Lilongwe team continues to monitor the data and work with Ministry of Health and development partners to support the response and mitigate the risk of another outbreak. This includes recent new funding for resilience and preparedness activities in affected districts through our bilateral health programme, as well as pulling in support from a Centrally Managed health security programme (TDDAP2) to build the capacity of Malawi's health system and institutions to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies such as cholera.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Fujitsu

James Wild: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Fujitsu has brought a legal claim against his Department since 2016.

Alex Burghart: Fujitsu has not brought a legal claim against the Cabinet Office since 2016.

Public Buildings: Asbestos

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department holds data on the number of public buildings in England that require asbestos removal as of 24 January 2024.

Alex Burghart: The Cabinet Office does not collect or hold data centrally on asbestos in public buildings. Individual building owners and managers are responsible for maintaining asbestos registers in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. These regulations also require duty holders to share information regarding the location, condition, and type of asbestos in buildings, in digital or paper form, with anyone liable to disturb it (e.g. workers, contractors and the emergency services).

Blood: Contamination

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for interim compensation payments under the Infected Blood Payment Scheme; and if he will take steps to ensure that those payments will begin within the 2023-24 financial year.

John Glen: In October 2022, the Government made interim payments of £100,000 to those infected and bereaved partners registered with the existing Infected Blood Support Schemes, as recommended in the Inquiry’s first interim report. We are actively looking at the recommendations of the Inquiry, including the recommendation for more interim payments, and the Government will respond to the recommendations of the final report following its publication on 20 May.

Blood: Contamination

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will bring forward amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill to ensure parity of treatment for infected blood victims across the UK.

John Glen: The Government recognises that the Inquiry's second interim report made a recommendation that compensation be delivered by a UK-wide central body in the interests of parity, and we remain committed to working with the Devolved Governments where appropriate to develop an effective response that delivers for victims across the UK.

Blood: Contamination

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to support parity of treatment for infected blood victims across the UK via the infected blood support schemes.

John Glen: The Government is committed to working with the Devolved Governments to develop an effective response that delivers across the UK. I also note the parity agreement reached in 2021 which enabled the four national financial Infected Blood support schemes to align, resulting in broader parity in annual payments and lump sums. In December 2023 the Government announced the introduction of a bespoke psychological service in England, to be in place by Summer 2024, bringing it alongside the other Infected Blood Support Schemes across the UK.

Treasury

Pensions: Public Sector

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who will (a) experience financial detriment to their public sector pension and (b) delay retirement following the McCloud Remedy.

Laura Trott: The Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 provides remedy for discrimination that arose when new public service pensions schemes were introduced between 2014 and 2016. No individual will experience detriment to their public service pension or need to delay their retirement. All eligible members will be able to choose to receive pension benefits in relation to pensionable service during the remedy period (from the new scheme or legacy scheme) of the greatest value to them.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of HMRC response times to enquiries from financial representatives.

Nigel Huddleston: Financial representatives such as tax agents are encouraged to use HMRC’s free online services wherever possible. Agents can save time by using online services specifically designed to help them manage their client’s tax affairs. Online information and tools are also available, this includes the agent dashboard where agents can check HMRC’s current processing times and service levels for post and online requests. Agents are also directed to use HMRCs webchat for simple enquiries so we can free up our advisers time to help those agents with more complex queries. HMRC performance data is published on a monthly and quarterly basis and can be found on the GOV.UK Website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Child Benefit

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of basing child benefit eligibility on household rather than individual income.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the child benefit income eligibility threshold in line with inflation.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the high income child benefit charge on household finances where (a) one parent's income is and (b) both parents' incomes are above the threshold.

Nigel Huddleston: The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is calculated on an individual rather than household basis in line with other tax policy. If the HICBC was based on household income, this could mean finding out the incomes and relationships of all Child Benefit claimants. This could put disproportionate burdens on families, as most claimants are not affected by HICBC and currently do not need to provide this information to HM Revenue and Customs. Regarding the threshold, the current level enables the Government to support most families while keeping welfare expenditure sustainable. In 2020-21 (the latest year that data is available), 88% of Child Benefit claimants were unaffected by the HICBC. Regarding the impact on families, the HICBC applies as long as one parent’s income is above the threshold. In 2020-21, 99.7% of those who declared a liability for HICBC paid income tax at the higher rate or above. As with all elements of tax policy, the Government keeps the HICBC under review.

Leasehold: Taxation

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of the abolition of marriage value under schedule two of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill on tax revenues derived from the enfranchisement of leasehold properties.

Nigel Huddleston: The Leasehold and Freehold reform bill will make it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to extend their lease or purchase their freehold.An Impact Assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill has been carried out by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and published on the Parliament website at: Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.The Treasury has not made an estimate of the impact of this specific policy change on tax revenues. Transactions involving lease extensions and collective enfranchisement are just certain elements of total revenue, which is influenced by a broad range of factors including, for property taxes, the broader housing market. The Treasury keeps all tax policy under review.

Apprentices: Taxation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the revenue raised from the apprenticeship levy in each of the last three years.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies have paid the apprenticeship levy in each of the last three years.

Nigel Huddleston: Monthly receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk Please see below for a table of the estimated number of employers paying the Apprenticeship Levy over the last three years:Tax YearNumber of Employers2020 to 202130,0002021 to 202231,5002022 to 202334,200

Catering and Take-away Food: VAT

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT on (a) catering and (b) takeaway hot food.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government currently has no plans to change the VAT treatment of either catering or takeaway hot food. Supplies in the course of catering include hot takeaway food for consumption off premises and food that is for consumption on the premises on which it is supplied (‘eat in’). These supplies of food are taxable at 20 per cent, the standard rate of VAT. VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Going further would impose additional pressure on the public finances to which VAT makes a significant contribution.

Freezing of Assets: Russia

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the amount of interest that has been accrued on frozen Russian assets seized by the UK Government.

Bim Afolami: UK Sanctions legislation does not provide powers to seize frozen assets. Assets owned or controlled by a designated person are frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them. An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury, therefore no interest has been accrued by the UK Government on frozen Russian assets.

Taxation: Rebates

Imran Hussain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of consumer protection regulation for individuals submitting tax rebate applications to HMRC through accounting companies.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government is committed to maintaining trust in the tax system and working with taxpayers to help them get their tax right. However, the Government is aware that some taxpayers face issues and feel misled when using companies that specialise in claiming tax refunds from HMRC. The Government is working with regulators and other key partners to ensure that the current legal framework is robust in prohibiting harmful business practices to consumer contracts. This includes introducing expectations of transparency in the HMRC Standard for Agents, updated in January 2023, to ensure customers are made aware of the agent’s fees and charging structure. There are many ways in which a customer can authorise a third party to act on their behalf. HMRC is also developing options for a more modern and secure approach to agent authorisation. HMRC continues to monitor tax agents and challenge them when there are potential concerns about their practices. HMRC then takes action by either issuing penalties, suspending claims or refusing to deal with an agent, and wherever necessary working with the Police to support their investigations.

Gyms: VAT

Will Quince: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of VAT that was collected on gym memberships in each of the last five years.

Nigel Huddleston: The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, including VAT on gym memberships. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

Cost of Living: Rural Areas

Alyn Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of increases in the cost of living on rural households.

Laura Trott: The Government is committed to helping people who need it the most, wherever they are. Distributional analysis published at Autumn Statement 2023 shows that low-income households will receive the largest benefit as a percentage of income from government decisions. Taken together, cost of living support to households is worth £104 billion, or £3,700 per household on average, across 2022-25.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's data release entitled Estimating the prevalence and costs of external wall system life-safety fire risk in mid-rise residential buildings in England, published on 17 May 2022, how many buildings estimated to require work to alleviate external wall system life-safety fire risks will be remediated through the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Lee Rowley: The end use of the Cladding Safety Scheme will depend upon individual decisions made by responsible entities on a building by building basis. Freeholders are responsible for building safety in their own buildings, including the use of the Cladding Safety Scheme, and there are strong safeguards and enforcements in place should they fail to do so in good time. Where buildings require cladding remediation and lack other avenues to support that outcome, we strongly encourage applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme, and are pro-actively working to ensure applications are made.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Simon Hoare: The duty does not require us to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty.

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of not extending the statutory requirement for a Cladding External Wall System form for properties in buildings below 11 meters on (a) property sales and (b) safety risk to residents.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) costs and (b) merits of extending the statutory requirement for a Cladding External Wall System form to include all apartment block buildings below 11m in height.

Lee Rowley: The Cladding External Wall System form (EWS1) is not a statutory requirement or government process. It is an industry tool to inform mortgage valuation. RICS has issued guidance on the use and application of these forms, and a surveyor must justify any request for an EWS1 form.The Fire Safety Act 2021 requires all multi-occupancy residential buildings, regardless of height, to have an up-to-date fire risk assessment that, where necessary, includes the external walls. A Fire Risk Assessment of External Walls (FRAEW) done to the PAS 9980 standard developed by the British Standards Institution is the appropriate way to assess that risk in the external wall system.

Building Safety Fund: Newham

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether a commission fee was added by Gallions Approach Management Ltd to the application to the Building Safety Fund in relation to the application for Drift Court in the London Borough of Newham, reference London_1595.

Lee Rowley: In the submission to the Building Safety Fund (BSF), Gallions Approach Management Ltd, the applicant for Drift Court, Newham, did not add a commission fee to their application to the BSF.

Leasehold

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of leaseholders are not eligible for financial support under Section 117(3)(c) of the Building Safety Act 2022 because other leaseholders own part of the freehold.

Lee Rowley: The Government does not collect data on the number of collective enfranchisements, including on the number of leaseholders who own and do not own parts of a freehold of a building.

Council Housing: Standards

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the total costs incurred by local authorities relating to legal cases on the fitness for habitation of council properties in each of the last five years.

Jacob Young: The information requested is not held centrally.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many families are housed through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Felicity Buchan: The most up to date data on arrivals through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be accessed here.

Housing Support Grants

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how he is assessing the scale of funding needed for the Housing Support Grant for next year.

Felicity Buchan: As part of the Government’s Drug Strategy, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and my department are providing up to £53 million through the Housing Support Grant for housing support interventions to prevent homelessness among individuals in drug and alcohol treatment. Funding allocations to the 28 local councils in England for 2022-2025 can be found here.

Homelessness: Young People

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to develop a national strategy on ending youth homelessness.

Felicity Buchan: This Government is committed to tackling all forms of homelessness including youth homelessness.The Government's 'Ending Rough Sleeping for Good' Strategy, published  in 2022 and backed by £2 billion over three years in England, recognises young people face particular challenges. The strategy confirmed a £200 million investment in the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) which will deliver homes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including young people. In addition, £2.4 million of Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for 2022-2025 supports youth services in local areas.The department will continue to work with local authorities and partners in the voluntary and community sector and private sector to tackle youth homelessness.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Churches: Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help conserve historic churches in (a) the UK and (b) Romford constituency.

Julia Lopez: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports the preservation of historic churches through financial assistance provided by the Department's Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme provides grants to cover the VAT expenses associated with repair and conservation of listed places of worship. This includes conservation efforts for monuments situated in listed places of worship. These grants apply when the monument is an integral part of the building's structure.Since August 2022, £39,054,024 has been funded to historic churches across the UK through the grant scheme. In the Romford constituency specifically, the total funding since August 2022 has been £60,619.

Public Libraries: Closures

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many libraries have closed in each year since 2015.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many libraries have opened in each year since 2015.

Julia Lopez: Arts Council England collects data from local authorities and publishes a basic dataset of information on public libraries in England. The libraries basic dataset for 2022 shows the number of static libraries in England (statutory and non-statutory) from April 2010 to 31 December 2022 and includes information on permanent library closures, as well as new library openings. It can be found here.

Forum Theatre: Concrete

Mr William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has received recent representations from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on the presence of RAAC at the Forum Theatre in Romiley.

Julia Lopez: The Department recently received correspondence from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (dated 22 January) regarding the presence of RAAC at the Forum Theatre in Romiley.The Government’s approach to RAAC has been informed by experts, encouraging owners to identify any RAAC present and to assess the structural adequacy of their buildings. In cases of suspected or confirmed RAAC, theatres should continue using the Institute of Structural Engineers’ (IStructE) guidance to assess what action is necessary. Where appropriate, theatres with RAAC should have mitigation and management action plans in place.We will provide a response to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in due course.

Railways: Coal

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Heritage Railway Association on the (a) availability and (b) affordability of coal.

Julia Lopez: We acknowledge the difficult circumstances facing the heritage steam sector in light of the high cost of coal on international commodity markets due in part to the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, met the Chief Executive of the Heritage Railway Association along with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail in July 2023, to discuss a range of issues, including the availability and affordability of coal. In November 2023, Lord Parkinson attended the Heritage Railway Association Annual General Meeting in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where they discussed the matter further. The Department is continuing to keep an ongoing dialogue with the heritage steam sector to understand the opportunities and challenges it faces.

Arts Council England

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide a timetable for the review of Arts Council England.

Julia Lopez: A review of the Arts Council England (ACE) was publicly announced by the Cabinet Office on 23 September 2023 as part of their annual list of Public Body Reviews.To date, the first stage Self Assessment Model has been completed by both the ACE and Sponsor Team. Following this, the DCMS Secretary of State affirmed her decision to conduct a full review of the public body.The review will be led by an independent Lead Reviewer, which the Public Body Reviews team are working towards appointing and announcing at the earliest possible date. Private Office and Spads have been well informed during this process. Guidance on the review process is available here.The Cabinet Office announcement was widely circulated in the arts world media at the time, though the process of securing a Lead Reviewer has taken some time, likely leading to this question about the timeline for the review.The review time frame is subject to many influences including Lead Reviewer availability, availability of stakeholders from which to gather evidence, complexity of subject matter etc and so providing timeframes for them is unhelpful.

Swimming Pools: Closures

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local authority swimming pools have closed in each year since 2015.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local authority leisure centres have closed by region in each year since 2015.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is clear on the importance of ensuring public access to swimming pools, as swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the Government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities. We have also confirmed an additional £60 million support package for swimming pools in 2023/24, which is targeted at addressing cost pressures facing public swimming pool providers and helping make facilities sustainable in the long-term.276 local authority swimming pools have closed since 2015. The breakdown per year is as follows:2015: 402016: 362017: 312018: 232019: 312020: 382021: 262022: 282023: 23These numbers should be considered in the context of facility provision within the local area. Facilities may close for a number of reasons: this can include the rationalisation of multiple older facilities into a modern, better located facility. In the same period from 2015-2023, 245 local authority swimming pools opened.Data is stored by facility type (e.g. pool, health and fitness gym, or sports hall) rather than “leisure centre.” From 2015, approximately 261 local authority owned sites which had one or more pools, main halls, or health and fitness gyms, closed either fully or partially (where a facility within the site, including a pool or gym, may have closed). By region the figures are as follows:East Midlands: 26Eastern: 21London: 26North East: 29North West:41South East: 43South West: 21West Midlands: 29Yorkshire and the Humber: 25At the same time, new facilities were constructed at 242 comparable sites.

Football: Governing Bodies

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will meet with the Shrimpers Trust to discuss the Football Governance Bill.

Stuart Andrew: The Secretary of State, the Minister for Sport and DCMS officials have undertaken extensive engagement with stakeholders across English football, during the Fan Led review of Football Governance and following the publication of the Football Governance White Paper last year.This has included several meetings with the Shrimpers Trust, at Ministerial and official level, most recently in November 2023. We would like to thank the Trust for their engagement to date and would welcome their on-going engagement and support going forward.

Youth Centres: Closures

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many youth centres have closed in each year since 2015.

Stuart Andrew: DCMS does not hold the data requested. Local Authorities have a statutory duty to ‘secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people’. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which is almost £60 billion this year (FY 23/24). DCMS has worked with the youth sector and local authorities to update the statutory guidance that underpins the duty to support local authorities in delivering it.

BBC

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the BBC on taking steps to ensure that its commissioning processes are subject to independent scrutiny.

Julia Lopez: The BBC is operationally and editorially independent and BBC commissioning is rightly a matter for the BBC, not for the Government.The Charter requires the BBC to commission programmes in a way that is fair and transparent, allowing non-BBC producers to compete for BBC projects. Due to measures introduced by this Government, by the end of this Charter (2027), 100% of BBC television and 60% of BBC radio will be fully open to competition to support a diverse range of stories and views on the BBC.The BBC has set out a clear commissioning framework and code of practice, agreed with Ofcom, that governs the commissioning of TV content from independent producers.

Advertising: Internet

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Online Advertising Taskforce action plan, published on 30 November 2023, what her Department's expected timeline to publish its further consultation on the online advertising programme policy package.

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made implementing the objectives set out in its online advertising taskforce action plan, published on 30 November 2023.

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Online Advertising Taskforce action plan, published on 30 November 2023, what her Department's expected timeline is to undertake research on online users’ experiences of advertising harms.

Julia Lopez: In the Government response to the Online Advertising Programme consultation, published in July 2023, we committed to bringing forward online advertising legislation when Parliamentary time allows. We will consult further on the details of proposed regulation in due course.The Online Advertising Taskforce, which brings together industry and government to drive non-legislative action, met for the first time in the same month and will run for at least a year. Taskforce members are working to progress commitments in its action plan, including building the evidence base and promoting and expanding industry initiatives and good practice. As outlined in the action plan, the Taskforce will publish a progress report following the end of the 12-month period.To support the aims of the Online Advertising Programme and Taskforce to improve the evidence base around illegal advertising harms, the Government has also commissioned research to understand the prevalence and range of online users’ experiences of these, as well as other advertising harms. We expect that it will be completed by the end of this year.

Department for Education

Higher Technical Qualifications

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of how many (a) colleges and (b) universities offer Higher Technical Qualifications (i) nationally and (ii) in each English region.

Robert Halfon: The department is delivering reforms to increase profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. Central to these reforms is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). HTQs are level 4 and 5 qualifications (such as HNDs and Foundation Degrees) that have been approved against employer-developed standard and quality marked by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE). This means students and employers can have confidence that HTQs provide skills employers need.HTQs are currently available across the country and are being taught in colleges, universities, Institutes of Technology’s (IoTs), and Independent Training Providers (ITPs) across Digital, Construction and Health & Science subjects. These qualifications give the learner the skills for a range of great jobs including Cyber Security, Quantity Surveying, Sports Coaching and Nursing Associate.There are 140 providers approved to begin teaching of HTQs in the 2023/24 academic year available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-higher-technical-qualifications. The published list can be broken down by provider type and includes 111 FECs and 18 HEIs which are able to deliver HTQs from the 2023/24 academic year. While the data cannot be broken down by region, it is instead broken down by postcode and location. The department is updating the list of approved providers as new HTQs enter the market and more providers are onboarded to deliver the qualifications. An updated list will be ready in Spring 2024.To support HTQ provision, £115 million in funding has been provided to colleges, universities, IoTs and ITPs to help grow provision across the country, on top of up to £300 million to create a network of 21 Institutes of Technology.To date 172 qualifications have been approved as HTQs across seven occupational routes (Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing and Legal, Finance & Accounting), for first teach beginning between September 2022/20 to 2024.To help HTQs be studied flexibly and around other commitments, since September 2023, HTQ learners are eligible for both tuition fee and maintenance loans whether they are studied full or part-time, on the same basis as degree level courses. HTQs will also be among the first courses eligible for modular funding when the Lifelong Learning Entitlement launches in the 2025/26 academic year.

Special Educational Needs: Hertfordshire

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a schedule of planned meetings between her Department and Hertfordshire County Council to monitor the progress of its Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities service improvement plan.

David Johnston: The department is currently scheduling a series of monitoring meetings with senior representatives from the local area to review progress against the priority action plan at a strategic level. In line with departmental policy, the department does not publish the schedules of meetings but will monitor progress approximately every three months. Following a monitoring meeting, the department will engage with the local area partnership to discuss outcomes and appropriate next steps. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission will then visit at the 18-month mark for formal monitoring.

Special Educational Needs: Mediation

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what opportunities parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have had to contribute to the development of new professional standards for mediators working with SEND.

David Johnston: In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department committed to work with the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) and the College of Mediators (CoM) to review and build on the existing professional standards for SEND mediators, which was first published in 2018. The standards are owned by CMC and CoM and apply to those listed on their joint register of accredited SEND mediators.CMC and CoM conducted a review of the existing standards last year and are currently consulting on proposed updated standards. Departmental officials have been working closely with CMC and CoM to ensure that the views of families, local authorities and other stakeholders are considered.Parents and carers of children with SEND can contribute their views directly by responding to the consultation via the CMC’s website: https://civilmediation.org/send-consultation.The department has also engaged with the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), which is the national combined strategic voice of parent carer forums working in co-production with the government. All funded local parent carer forums are, by default, members of the NPCF. The department has engaged with NNPCF via the department’s SEND Dispute Resolution Steering Group, where they have had an opportunity to comment and share their views on plans to update the standards. NNPCF have also shared details of the consultation with their network.The Council for Disabled Children and Contact have also shared details of the consultation.

Care Leavers: Housing

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support care leavers to find a home when they leave local authority care.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of the support provided by local authorities for care leavers.

David Johnston: Supporting care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this government. Care leavers face barriers to securing and maintaining affordable housing, which is why the department committed to delivering the actions within ‘Mission 5’ of the Care Review implementation plan to increase the number of care leavers in safe, suitable accommodation and to reduce care leaver homelessness by 2027.This commitment includes bringing forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows, for ‘Staying Put’ to support young people for longer and for ‘Staying Close’ to be a national entitlement, recognising that young people in the general population are leaving home at older ages. The department will also bring forward legislation, when parliamentary time allows, to remove the local connection requirement for care leavers seeking access to social housing at the next available opportunity.The government is providing funding for the following programmes in the current spending review period (2022/2025) to support care leavers to find suitable accommodation. This includes:£99.8 million to local authorities to increase the number of care leavers that stay living with their foster families in a family home up to the age of 21 through the ‘Staying Put’ programme.£53 million to increase the number of young people leaving residential care who receive practical help with move-on accommodation, including ongoing support from a keyworker, through the ‘Staying Close’ programme.£3 million this and next financial year to deliver extra support for care leavers at highest risk of rough sleeping.Ofsted inspects the adequacy of the support provided by local authorities for care leavers. In January 2023, Ofsted introduced a new, separate judgement in the inspection framework for local authority children’s services, specifically assessing the experiences and progress of care leavers.​Alongside this, a care leaver Ministerial Board, co-chaired by the Secretaries of State for the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, brings together relevant Ministers from across government to consider what more can be done to improve outcomes for care leavers and to help to achieve the five care-leavers-related ‘Missions’ as set out in the government’s children’s social care strategy, ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’. This includes looking to increase the number of care leavers in safe, suitable accommodation and to reduce care leaver homelessness.

Childminding

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to allow parents to claim funded hours for their child if they are cared for by a registered childminder who is also a member of their extended family.

David Johnston: Childminders are a key part of the childcare market and they will play a significant part in the government’s increased early years entitlements offer.Funding made available in the dedicated schools grant (DSG) for the entitlements to early education for two, three and four-year-olds cannot be claimed by, or spent on, childminders providing childcare for related children. This restriction is placed on local authorities funding relatives and is set out in the Childcare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) Section 18(4)(c). The 2006 Act specifically excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative, and section 18(8)(c) of the 2006 Act states that a relative, in relation to a child, means ‘a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister, whether of the full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership’.This approach avoids creating an incentive for adults to register to become childminders and being paid to look after related children that they are already looking after on an informal basis.A local authority can choose to fund a childminder providing care for a related child. However, this would have to be from the local authority funds that are independent of the DSG.In the case of a nursery or pre-school, the funding is not necessarily paid to an individual who is caring for a relative, but to the setting which provides early education to a group of children, which may include a child related to a member of staff.

Education: Autism

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children with autism receive a good standard of education.

David Johnston: The department aim is for all children and young people, including those who are autistic, to receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department wants all children to achieve well throughout their education, to find employment, to lead happy and fulfilled lives and to experience choice and control.In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department set out a vision to improve mainstream education by setting standards for the early and accurate identification of need and the timely provision of access to support. The standards will clarify the types of support that should be ordinarily available in mainstream settings and who is responsible for securing the support. This will give parents confidence and clarity on how their child’s needs will be met.As part of this, the department has committed to developing practitioner standards, which were known as practice guides in the Improvement Plan, to provide advice to education professionals. The three practitioner standards will be published by the end of 2025, one of which will be focused on autism. The department will build on existing best practice and will include guidance on how an education environment may be adapted to better support the needs of autistic pupils.The department’s Universal Services contract brings together SEND-specific continuous professional development and support for the school and further education workforce to improve outcomes for children and young people, including those who are autistic.The contract offers autism awareness training and resources delivered by the Autism Education Trust (AET). Over 100,000 education professionals have undertaken autism awareness training as part of AET's ‘train the trainer’ model since the Universal Services programme commenced in May 2022.

Ministry of Defence

LGBT Veterans Independent Review

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish (a) eligibility and (b) application process information on how LGBT veterans can apply for a financial award, in the context of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, published on 19 July 2023.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Oral statement by the Minister for Defence People and Families of 13 December 2023 on the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, Official Report, column 904, what his assessment is of the difference between a (a) financial awards scheme and (b) compensation scheme.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with stakeholders on recommendation 28 of the LGBT veterans independent review.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Defence continues to work at pace with experts across Government and reference other schemes, such as the Canadian scheme, to establish an appropriate scheme for the financial award, working within the £50 million limit recommended in the independent review. Defence is still considering how to best implement the recommendation; no specific decision has yet been taken about the mechanism for this, and development of the scheme is at an early stage. Defence cannot yet confirm the details, the expected number of claimants, its eligibility and application process, or the likely size of awards. However, the Government is committed to delivering the report’s recommendation, acknowledging that the process is intricate and must be followed correctly.In the meantime, Defence will continue to engage with stakeholders, including LGBT veterans, as plans for the financial award progress and is committed to providing updates on the development of the scheme; eligibility criteria; and information on the application process on the ‘LGBT Veterans: support and next steps’ GOV.UK page as soon as possible: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lgbt-veterans-support-and-next-steps

Armed Forces: Discharges

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of Armed Forces personnel who are medically discharged due to hearing related (a) damage and (b) impairments.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Defence’s policy for managing noise and preventing noise induced hearing damage or impairment is set out in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 375 – Management of health and safety in Defence, chapter 25 – Noise at work. 20220909_JSP_375_Chapter_25_Noise_at_Work.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) To ensure it remains compliant with legislation and aligned to best practice, JSP 375 is subject to an on-going rolling review programme. As part of this, chapter 25 was last updated in September 2022 with input from both Defence and external subject matter experts. Chapter 25 provides clear and succinct policy statements, mapped to relevant legislation, setting out the measures to be taken to eliminate noise exposure risks or reduce them to as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP) and tolerable. If a noise risk assessment indicates a health risk to personnel, they must be placed under suitable audiometric health surveillance.

Pakistan: Refugees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people in Pakistan eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy are still awaiting relocation.

James Heappey: As of 30 January 2024, there are approximately 1,100 Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Eligible Principals and their family members awaiting relocation from Pakistan. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) are committed to support the continued relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Pakistan, and into the UK, as quickly as possible. To date, we have brought approximately 15,300 applicants to safety in the UK under the ARAP scheme.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the threat to (a) wives and (b) children of people eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy in cases where the principal is deceased.

James Heappey: Wives and children under 18 of a deceased ARAP-eligible principal applicant are themselves eligible to relocate to the UK under ARAP, provided they can demonstrate that the death of the principal has had a direct impact upon the level of risk they face or their level of vulnerability. This policy is published online and is available on the Gov.uk website at the below link on page 14: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1120900/Afghan_Relocations_and_Assistance_Policy_-_ARAP.pdf

Afghanistan: Refugees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people in Pakistan eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme have been relocated to the UK since December 2023.

James Heappey: As of 30 January 2024, 1,273 Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Eligible Principals and their family members have been relocated to the UK from Pakistan since December 2023. Many factors govern the flow of relocation, but we are endeavouring to bring as many eligible Afghans as possible to the UK, as quickly as possible.

Ministry of Defence: Recruitment

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with which three external recruitment agencies his Department spent the highest amount in the last 12 months.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Department's Annual Reports and Accounts gives overall spend on consultancy as £149.105 million for 2022-23. There is no further breakdown to show spend on external recruitment consultancy and none could be obtained without entailing excess cost although, in general, Defence does not make use of external recruitment agencies to fill full time roles. However, the Army has a contract with Capita to deliver recruitment.

Veterans: Homelessness

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Veterans UK on veteran homelessness.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Veterans UK is the public facing name given to the administration and payment by the Ministry of Defence of Armed Forces Pensions and the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes, and Veterans Welfare Service. The brand is being retired because it does not exist as an executive agency or standalone entity, and the continued use of the brand causes confusion as to the role of the Department.As I said in the House on 8 January 2024 (volume 743, column 11), homelessness is not principally a function of the Ministry of Defence. However, the Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Service and Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans provide holistic transition and welfare information, guidance and support to the Armed Forces Community, which includes that in relation to homelessness where the need is specifically linked to Service. This includes responding to housing enquiries from Service leavers and their families with a housing need, including those at risk of homelessness and who require further, additional transitional support.The lead for cross Departmental issues effecting Veterans such as homelessness is the Office for Veterans Affairs.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on external consultants for the Recruitment Partnership Project since its inception.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member's question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on external consultants for the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme since its inception.

Dr Andrew Murrison: In line with Cabinet Office spend control guidance and definitions, the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme (AFRP) has not contracted consultancy services.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Python Minefield Breaching Systems (a) are in storage, (b) are in use and (c) were donated to Ukraine between February 2022 and June 2023.

James Heappey: I am withholding the number of in-service Python as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the British Armed Forces. I can confirm however that no Python Minefield Breaching Systems have been Granted in Kind to Ukraine by the UK.

Ukraine: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK troops are deployed domestically as part of military aid to civilian authority requests.

James Heappey: I refer the right hon. Member to the previous answer I gave on 17 November 2022 to Question 86646.Military Aid (docx, 15.0KB)

Challenger Tanks

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department donated 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine; and for what reason his Department did not donate all Challenger 2 tanks not due to be upgraded to Challenger 3.

James Heappey: The UK’s decision to send a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks to Ukraine delivered a coherent and combat effective capability and, in doing so, unlocked dozens of additional Main Battle Tanks from international partners. A decision on what will happen to the Challenger 2 platforms not being used as part of the Challenger 3 programme has not yet been taken.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to donate more Minefield Breaching Systems to Ukraine.

James Heappey: The UK does plan to donate additional Minefield Breaching Systems to Ukraine. However, due to operational security I will not provide a specific breakdown.

Ukraine: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Trojan platforms were donated to Ukraine between February 2022 and June 2023.

James Heappey: We have not donated any Trojan platforms to Ukraine during that time period.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many remotely operated minefield breaching systems his Department has provided to Ukraine (a) since 1 February 2022 and (b) before 1 June 2023.

James Heappey: We have not provided any remotely operated minefield breaching systems during this time period.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the (a) vehicle-mounted and (b) on-the person (i) mine clearing and (ii) explosive ordnance disposal equipment donated to Ukraine was for (A) clearance in unoccupied territory and(B) breaching Russian minefields.

James Heappey: We do not comment on the tactical employment of GiK to ensure the safety and security of the Ukrainian service personnel.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Minefield Breaching Systems were donated to Ukraine between February 2022 and June 2023.

James Heappey: The UK has provided considerable equipment and training to Ukraine to improve their ability to clear mines. This has included over 1,500 sets of both vehicle-mounted and 'on-the person' mine clearing and explosive ordnance disposal equipment, including necessary training.

Ministry of Justice

Reoffenders

Rob Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of trends in re-offending rates for people subject to a home detention curfew for the final part of their custodial sentence.

Edward Argar: The proven reoffending rate for adults released from custody in 2017/18 and who reoffended within one year of their release was 47.6%. For offenders released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC), the reoffending rate was 23.0%. The 2017/18 cohort has been chosen since this is the most recent cohort available where the reoffending data within a year (i.e. up to 2019) is not affected by the Covid 19 pandemic and associated court backlogs. HDC has been operating well for over 20 years and provides a safe and effective way of managing the transition of suitable, lower-risk prisoners from custody to the community whilst maintaining restrictions on their liberty through the use of an electronically monitored curfew – ‘tagging’. Offenders released on HDC face strict eligibility requirements and a risk assessment process, which seek to select cases which are suitable because they can be safely managed in the community and have a lower likelihood of reoffending. We are seeking to expand the benefits of HDC for suitable prisoners whilst ensuring that public protection remains the overriding priority.

Prison Officers: Vacancies

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officer positions were vacant in (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2023.

Edward Argar: Workforce figures have only been published up to September 2023. Data up to December 2023 is set to be published on the 15 February 2024 and until these workforce figures are released, we are unable to respond to this question as any data provided could pre-empt the February publication.Notes:The workforce figures will be published here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics.

Prison Officers: Labour Turnover

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers recruited in 2023 have left the prison service.

Edward Argar: The quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication covers staffing information, including leavers, and the latest publication covers data up to 30 September 2023. Figures for the remainder of 2023 are due for publication on 15 February 2023 and therefore this information cannot be released at this time.In the period from 01 January 2023 to 30 September 2023, there were 3,967 band 3-5 prison officers who joined HM Prison and Probation Service. Details of the number and proportion who have left the Prison Service (including the Youth Custody Service) as of 30 September 2023 are given in the table below.Table 1: Status of band 3-5 prison officers1 who joined2 between 1 January 2023 and 30 September 2023 - as of 30 September 2023Remained or leftHeadcountPercentageStill working in prisons ( including YCS)33,62791.4%Left HMPPS altogether3408.6%Total3,967100.0%Notes1. Includes Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2. New recruits joining HMPPS - does not include internal transfers or conversions.3. Even though these staff are still working in prisons they may no longer be in prison officer roles due to staff movements etc Appropriate staffing across our prison estate is vitally important. In line with Prisons Strategy White Paper, published in December 2021, we are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 additional prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s in line with estate expansion. The number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) prison officers has increased over time. As of 30 September 2023, there has been increase of 1,441 FTE (6.7%) since 30 September 2022. For prison officers, there has been an increase of 632 FTE (2.8%) compared to June 2023. Over the year to 30 September 2023, 5,377 band 3 to 5 offers were appointed (consisting of new recruits and existing staff who converted to a band 3 officer grade).In late 2021, HM Prison Service launched a retention tool kit to help Governors to tackle the main drivers of attrition in their prisons. We are using the data from this and enhanced exit interviews to better understand why employees are leaving.HM Prison Service made a significant investment in pay for prison staff through the 2023/24 pay awards. This delivered an increase of at least 5% for all Prison Service staff, with prison officers receiving a 7% increase. Since 2019, the starting salary increased for an entry level prison officer from £23,529 to £32,851 (national rate, 39-hour week with unsocial hours).Since April 2022, HM Prison Service have invested in several new initiatives to improve the experience of our new joiners and increase retention of our employees. These include a new peer-to-peer learning scheme, the introduction of mentors for new staff, a supervision pilot in two prisons, and new leadership training in prisons facing retention challenges.These measures are working. In the 12 months to 30 September 2023, resignation rates for band 3-5 prison officers fell to 8.6%.

Prisons: Staff

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the National Statistics entitled Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to December 2023 Assaults and Self-harm to September 2023, published on 25 January 2024, how many and what proportion of assaults on prison staff took place in privately-operated prisons.

Edward Argar: We publish the number of assaults against prison staff, as part of our Safety in Custody statistics, in Table 8e of the summary tables, available at the following link: Safety in custody: quarterly update to September 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Totals for those occurring in privately-operated prisons can be seen at row 160, with the grand total in row 162. While staff assault rates remain below pre-pandemic levels, we continue to ensure all our hardworking staff are protected and will never tolerate violence against our hardworking prison officers. Prisoners who are violent towards staff will face the full consequences of their actions and will be dealt with swiftly and effectively, which includes further time behind bars.We are providing staff in the adult male estate with a personal safety package which includes SPEAR personal safety training, in order to protect staff and prisoners from instances of serious violence. We also continue to provide targeted support to prisons on CSIP (Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan) implementation where needed. CSIP provides a framework for managing violence that is centred around the prisoner and their specific needs to help them manage and move away from violent behaviours.

Prison Officers: Dismissal

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been dismissed for (a) supplying and (b) transporting drugs in prison in each of the last ten years.

Edward Argar: The vast majority of prison staff are hardworking and dedicated. A minority of staff engage in corrupt activity which is often as a result of conditioning and manipulation by prisoners.HM Prison & Probation Service has a zero-tolerance policy to drugs conveyed into prisons and take appropriate action in respect of the small number of prison staff who break the rules. Our £100m Security Investment Programme (SIP), aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs and mobile phones, is ongoing. This includes increased resource to pursue corruption, as well as established a new ‘Prevent’ function, aimed at building staff resilience against corruption.Our £100 million Security Investment Programme aimed to improve security with a focus on technology, such as X-ray body scanners. This aimed to improve our ability to detect and disrupt drugs from entering prisons, supported by enhancements to intelligence and counter corruption capabilities.Over the last few years, we have continued to increase in capacity and deliver our counter-corruption strategy. Through the £100m SIP investment over 100 new staff were also recruited into the Counter-Corruption Unit. This includes regional Prevent teams dedicated to building staff resilience through training, awareness raising and individual support.Given the investment and measures outlined above, the increase in instances outlined below may reflect better detecting and reporting of drugs conveyance, as opposed to an increase in activity.*Prison Officer (and PCO) Conveyance of Drugs 2019- Dec 2023YearAmount201910202019202116202221202321Source: Linkspace Case Management System. Notes:Linkspace is the Counter Corruption Unit’s (CCU) Case Management System used to record and track cases linked to corruption. Data provided by the Counter Corruption (CCU) have the following Caveats applied below; 1) Prior to April 2019, corruption in HMPPS was managed by the Corruption Prevention Unit (CPU). The CPU was a largely centralised unit focused on sanitising and disseminating all corruption related intelligence to the Police, with an individual Regional CorruptionPrevention Manager (RCPM) in each geographical region offering advice and support to prisons in managing corruption, hence data prior to April 2019 is not available.2) ‘Supplying and transporting’ of drugs in a prison falls under the definition of ‘conveyance of drugs’ and recorded on the CCU’s Case Management System to cases linked to drugs related offences.3) Data includes Prison Custodial Officer (PCO) and they are the equivalent to a Prison Officer in a privately run establishment.

Prisoners' Transfers

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Prison Transfer Agreements were in place in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The removal of Foreign National Offenders is a Government priority and my department continues to work closely with the Home Office to maximise the number of deportations.The total number of voluntary and compulsory Prisoner Transfer Agreements agreed since 2010 is set out below. For PTAs, the receiving country and their judiciary needs to consider and accept each individual transfer case.Year:Total PTA agreements2010992011992012100201310020141012015102201610320171032018104201910620201062021107202210820231102024110We are looking to negotiate new Prisoner Transfer Agreements with key EU Member States and wider-world countries. We signed a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with the Philippines in October 2023, and made a new arrangement with Albania in May 2023 to increase the number of transfers under the agreement signed in May 2022.

Reoffenders

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders who went on to commit a serious further offence were classified as (a) high risk, (b) medium risk and (c) low risk in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The table below sets out the total number of convictions, where an offender subject to probation supervision was charged with a serious further offence (SFO), which resulted subsequently in a conviction for an SFO, for all cases notified to what is now HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2022, listed by their highest classification of risk of serious harm during the period of supervision for the index sentence (though not necessarily the classification at the point they were charged with the SFO).YearHighest risk of serious harm during the index sentence Very High / HighMediumLowUnknown20101001283412201193129252320121179225292013107104252720141249717242015116130213020161481193111201719113936192018137141331720191651292117202015410423122021162921392022 (Jan-Mar)3723103 1. Time period for conviction data relates to the date of SFO notification to HMPPS not the date of conviction.2. Index sentence refers to the sentencing disposal imposed by the court which led to probation services supervision of the offender.3.The risk of serious harm relates to the highest risk of harm assessed during the period of supervision on the index sentence, not at the time of the SFO.4.The data concerning unknown risk of harm, may relate to cases where a formal risk assessment had not been completed during the index sentence, or was not captured at the point of notification, and has not been updated within the database.5. The data includes cases where the SFO was committed within 28 days of the end of the supervision period.6. Conviction data also includes cases where the offender committed suicide or died prior to the trial, where the judicial process concluded that they were responsible.7. The data has been updated and may differ to any original publication due to data cleansing, re-categorising and re-grouping. Data in the annual SFO bulletin is shown in financial years not calendar years as above.8. Data Sources and Quality. We have drawn these figures from administrative IT systems which, as with some large-scale recording systems, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Figures are published based on the date of SFO notification (charge) received by HMPPS. The lag between the date of publication and the conviction figures is to allow time for most cases to complete the criminal justice process. Figures for 2022/23 will be published in October 2024.Serious further offences are incredibly rare, with fewer than 0.5% of offenders supervised by the Probation Service going on to commit serious further offences but each one is investigated fully so we can take action where necessary. We have also injected extra funding of more than £155 million a year into the Probation Service to deliver tougher supervision, reduce caseloads and recruit thousands more staff to keep the public safer.

Ministry of Justice: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.

Mike Freer: There has been no refurbishment of the Ministry of Justice’s ministerial offices in the last two years.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Control

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of flood defences.

Steve Barclay: Since 2010, the Government has invested over £6 billion to better protect more than 600,000 properties. Government investment in flood defences and action taken by the Environment Agency helped protect over 139,000 properties during storms Babet and Ciarán, and 102,000 properties during storm Henk. No properties were flooded by Storms Babet and Ciarán because of any flood defences being below required condition.

Flood Control

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to improve flood defences.

Steve Barclay: The Government is investing a record £5.2 billion over six years in flood and coastal erosion schemes to better protect communities across England. In addition, at the last spending review the Government increased funding for maintaining existing flood defences by £22 million per year, bringing the total to over £200 million per year. Our investment in flood defences has seen over 600,000 properties better protected from flooding since 2010, including over 71,000 since 2021.

Domestic Waste: Recycling

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help improve recycling for households.

Robbie Moore: We are introducing Simpler Recycling in England to drive up recycling rates and reverse a trend of stagnation. From March 2025 for businesses and March 2026 for households, Simpler Recycling will ensure that the same materials can be recycled at home and at work, replacing the current wild west system where neighbouring local authorities can have completely different recycling systems.

Inshore Fishing

Sir John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the inshore fishing industry.

Mark Spencer: We took the opportunities of Brexit to allocate a greater proportion of the additional quota received under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to the inshore fleet. They now get double the quota share they did than before. And, since opening in 2021, we have supported the inshore fleet from the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme which overall has invested £27 million in over 1,300 projects.

Fisheries

Mrs Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support fishing communities.

Mark Spencer: We are supporting fishing communities by:Negotiating quotas of 750,000 tonnes to fish in 2024, an 80,000 tonne increase compared to 2023 which will deliver an up to £70 million boost for our fishing industry.And we are going even further, by developing new fisheries for species like Bluefin Tuna, and providing £100 million through the UK Seafood Fund.

Fisheries: Migrant Workers

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of increasing the minimum earnings thresholds for skilled foreign workers on the fisheries sector in Northern Ireland.

Mark Spencer: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

Clams: Non-native Species

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the minimum landing size for invasive species of clams which may not grow to the required size.

Mark Spencer: The Marine Management Organisation and the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority are developing a research plan to assess the abundance and condition of non-native clams in the inshore and offshore area of the Thames Estuary. This will establish the potential commercial viability of the fishery. The minimum landing size regulation for clams protects the native clam stocks. Any actions to open-up the non-native clam fishery must also consider impacts on native stocks and on the marine environment.

Agriculture: Methane

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers to use methane suppressing feed additives.

Mark Spencer: Defra considers that methane suppressing feed products are an essential tool to decarbonise the agricultural sector. Ruminant livestock are the leading cause of farm emissions, but feed additives with methane inhibiting properties have the potential to reduce emissions, especially from housed cattle. In 2022 the UK and devolved Governments launched a call for evidence to better understand the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of feed products that can reduce methane emissions from livestock. The findings will be used by the UK Government as we further consider policy in this area. We are committed to working with farmers and industry to stimulate the market and encourage uptake of methane suppressing feed products. In England, we plan to incentivise the uptake of high efficacy products with proven safety once suitable products enter the market. We will work closely with industry to explore the best approach to introduce incentives, which could, for instance include advice, guidance and support for the development and use of products on farms through our existing farming existing schemes or a new bespoke scheme. Our ambition remains to develop a mature market and mandate the use of safe and effective products in suitable cattle systems in England as soon as feasible and at the very latest by 2030.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.

Mark Spencer: Refurbishments made to ministerial offices in Defra (all in Marsham Street, London) in each of the last two years have been: January 2022: creation of a Minister’s office for an additional appointmentSeptember 2022: ergonomic chair for health and safety workplace adjustment considerationNovember 2022: installation of whiteboardsJanuary 2023: creation of a departmental media suiteJanuary 2023: repair and replacement of 14 meeting room chairs’ upholstery due to significant wear since 1997December 2023: creation of a Minister’s office for an additional appointmentDecember 2023: limited remedial work on an office wall due to removal of whiteboard Each of these refurbishments strives to strike a balance between value for the taxpayer and ensuring that staff are able to do their job effectively.

Tree Planting

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase tree planting.

Rebecca Pow: The England Trees Action Plan, funded by over £675 million of the Nature for Climate Fund, is transforming England’s tree planting and woodland management. We have set a statutory target to increase tree canopy and woodland cover of England to 16.5% by 2050. Last year, over 3,600 hectares of trees were planted (4.7 million trees) - the highest planting rate for nearly a decade – a massive boost to a sector that employs over 33,000 people across the UK. The framework is now in place with the plan to further increase tree planting and treble planting rates in England by the end of this parliament. We’re also securing and growing nursery capacity to boost the supply of healthy seeds and trees.

Department for Work and Pensions

Silica: Health Hazards

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of workers that are regularly exposed to silica dust in the workplace.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take legislative steps to include silicosis as a reportable condition under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.

Paul Maynard: In November 2023, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its annual report entitled “Silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis statistics in Great Britain, 2023”. In October 2023 HSE published the second Post Implementation Review (PIR) of RIDDOR, with a view to expanding it to include areas where HSE regulatory intervention can add value. Of the five recommendations, work is already underway on the first two, regarding guidance and online reporting. HSE will start the process of reviewing the remaining recommendations, including the inclusion of Pneumoconiosis (e.g., silicosis), within the next business year.

Silica: Health Hazards

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on the adequacy of the (a) use of equipment and (b) other steps taken by silica-related industries to detect silica dust.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on the safety of engineered stone production; and if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of banning the (a) production and (b) use of engineered stone.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will commission research on potential links between engineered stone production and silicosis in workers.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with industry representatives on potential steps to detect respirable silica dust during the production of silica-containing products.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to help identify the silicosis risks associated with engineered stone working.

Paul Maynard: In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone. HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations. The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls. HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.

Cold Weather Payments: Eligibility

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using alternative methods of determining eligibility for cold weather payments.

Paul Maynard: The Department continually monitors Cold Weather Payment policies and procedures to identify opportunities to improve the scheme's effectiveness. This includes working with the Met Office, who review the scheme each year to assess whether the linkages between postcode areas and weather stations remain the best available.

Department for Work and Pensions: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.

Paul Maynard: I can confirm that for calendar years 2022 / 2023, to date, there has been no refurbishment and nil investment (£0) in the ministerial offices located in the DWP Corporate Sites London, Caxton House and Leeds, Quarry House.

Pensions: Consumer Information

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse of the Pensions Dashboards programme has been as of 29 January 2024.

Paul Maynard: The Pensions Dashboard Programme is principally funded by levy payers, through the Financial Services Levy, which is collected by the FCA from the financial services industry and the General Pensions Levy, which is a levy collected from pension schemes. PDP has spent £52 million between 2019/20 and the end of November 2023 (with spend relating to 2023/24 subject to final audit).

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 1 September (b) 18 October, (c) 21 November, (d) 21 December 2023 and (e) 11 January 2024 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay, case reference JB42509.

Paul Maynard: A reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member was sent on 30 January.

Children: Maintenance

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much child maintenance has (a) been recovered and paid to the receiving parent and (b) not been paid in each of the last three years.

Paul Maynard: The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are available up to September 2023, with statistics for the amount of maintenance due and the amount paid published in Table 5 of the National tables. The relevant information is included in the table below. CMS does not measure the compliance of Paying Parents on the Direct Pay service. Unpaid Maintenance is the value of maintenance scheduled to be paid, but not received from a Paying Parent through the Collect and Pay service, including any transferred from Direct Pay. CMS Money Due and Paid each Quarter, Great Britain, January 2021 to September 2023QuarterMaintenance due to be paid via Direct Pay (£millions)Maintenance due to be paid via Collect and Pay (£millions)Maintenance paid via Collect and Pay (£millions)Unpaid Maintenance (£millions)Jan to Mar 2021203.158.345.412.9Apr to Jun 2021212.360.946.914.0Jul to Sep 2021217.163.147.415.7Oct to Dec 2021210.264.446.617.8Jan to Mar 2022207.166.845.621.2Apr to Jun 2022219.769.648.820.8Jul to Sep 2022231.271.449.422.0Oct to Dec 2022231.769.749.120.6Jan to Mar 2023237.072.049.122.9Apr to Jun 2023252.475.852.123.7Jul to Sep 2023263.279.157.521.6Source: Child Maintenance Service Management Information Notes:The figures provided are for child maintenance only and do not include fees for the use of the service. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000.This table provides information on the amount of child maintenance owed by Paying Parents that was due to be paid in each quarter. It counts money due and paid for Paying Parents with an ongoing maintenance liability i.e., those for whom new child maintenance was arranged during the quarter.Movement between service types - If a case moves from the Direct Pay service to the Collect and Pay service due to build-up of arrears, the unpaid maintenance is transferred from the Direct Pay service to the Collect and Pay service. This will be corrected for with regard to the quarter in which the transition occurs, but previous quarters’ figures are not retrospectively adjusted.Payments outside of the statutory arrangement - This table does not include adjustments to the amount of child maintenance that should have been paid where parents have informed the Child Maintenance Service that they have made payments between themselves.In a very small number of cases a child maintenance payment may be refunded to the Paying Parent. These Paying Parents are currently still counted as compliant, and the money is counted as paid.In a very small number of cases a child maintenance payment may be incorrectly assigned to the wrong parent. If the money is then assigned to the correct parent, then the money paid will be counted twice.

Social Rented Housing: Tenants

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10700 on Social Rented Housing: Tenants, if he will start to hold the necessary data in order to provide an estimate of the number of social housing tenants in rent arrears due to 53 rent payment weeks in 2024.

Mims Davies: We have no plans to collect this data because social tenant rent account balances are not required to calculate Universal Credit awards. Regulations only permit the collection of data that is pertinent to the calculation of a claimants Universal Credit award.

Personal Independence Payment

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) numbers and (b) cost to the public purse of PIP claims from claimants with untreatable conditions who were successful at Tribunal; and what proportion of these were repeat Tribunal cases.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not available. Detailed statistics on PIP can be found on Stat-Xplore. The department holds data on a range of conditions. However, these are not collected in a way that allows them to be defined as untreatable. You can view the disability categories here. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here.

Jobcentres: Patients

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued on (a) the circumstances in which a hospital in-patient would be required to attend a meeting at a jobcentre and (b) the circumstances in which a hospital in-patient would be required to attend a meeting if that necessitated the attendance of NHS staff.

Jo Churchill: There are no references within our Guidance which state we would require a hospital in-patient to attend a meeting at a Jobcentre. Where a claimant is required to attend Work Focused Interviews, guidance states that work coaches have discretion to vary the frequency and appointment channel in light of the claimant’s needs, circumstances and capability. Guidance also states that in exceptional circumstances, where a claimant is absolutely prevented from accepting a Claimant Commitment, the requirement to do so is temporarily lifted. This includes, but is not limited to, instances where a claimant is undergoing medical treatment as an in-patient in a hospital.

Northern Ireland Office

Prevent Independent Review

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of William Shawcross’ report on compensation for UK victims of Gaddafi-sponsored IRA terrorism, submitted to the Government in March 2020; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of publishing that report on the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government is unshakeable in its commitment to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, the culmination of the hard-won gains of the peace process which has transformed the political and economic life of Northern Ireland since it was agreed in 1998. The then Foreign Secretary set out the Government's position on Mr Shawcross's report on compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism in a Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 March 2021. Mr Shawcross's report was commissioned as an internal scoping report, to provide advice to Ministers. Its content is based on private, confidential conversations and information shared on this basis. The UK Government reiterates its sympathy for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism and indeed for all victims of the Troubles.

Strule Shared Education Campus: Finance

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what date the UK Government made the decision to allocate £150 million from the Fresh Start Agreement funding package to the Strule Shared Education Campus.

Mr Steve Baker: In June 2018, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced £144 million from the Fresh Start Agreement funding package to be allocated to the Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh. This built on an initial £43 million announced in March 2016. The UK Government was advised by the Northern Ireland Civil Service in June 2023 that there was an assumption that this allocation had risen. Fresh Start Agreement funding has always been subject to individual projects, including Strule, being agreed between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government. The Government has continued to work with Northern Ireland Departments on funding arrangements and projects under the Agreement and final funding allocations continue to be subject to HM Treasury approval.

Department for Business and Trade

Small Businesses: Billing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that small business are paid on time by other companies within their supply chains.

Kevin Hollinrake: While the UK has a strong record of good payment times, we are determined to reduce payment times so that small businesses are given the best chance of succeeding. The Government set out policy actions in the Prompt Payment and Cash Flow Review which was published alongside the Autumn Statement in November 2023. These actions include extending the Payment Performance Reporting Regulations (via a Statutory Instrument laid in January 2024), providing the Small Business Commissioner with broader powers, and equipping small businesses with more information to negotiate payment terms that better suit them.

Origin Marking: Canada

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in rules of origin arrangements with Canada as a result of the suspension of trade negotiations with that country on (a) the economy and (b) each sector.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The pause in negotiations does not impact our existing trade agreement with Canada, which underpins £25.9bn worth of trade in the 12 months to September 2023. However, we are working closely with UK businesses potentially impacted by the changes to rules of origin arrangements in the existing agreement, to help them prepare and adapt. Our analysis to date shows exporters of automotives, plastics, chemicals and processed food are likely to be impacted.

Private Prosecutions

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the (a) transparency and (b) regulation of private prosecutions following the failure of the Post Office Horizon system.

Kevin Hollinrake: Since I announced on 10th January 2023 that the Government plans to legislate to overturn the convictions of postmasters, I have held several positive discussions with my Rt Hon Friend the Lord Chancellor. However, private prosecutions are ultimately a matter for the Ministry of Justice.

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy to maintain the existing terms of the universal service obligation for Royal Mail delivery services.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government is committed to ensuring the provision of a financially sustainable and accessible universal postal service which meets consumer needs. The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but we have made clear the importance of maintaining a Saturday delivery service and we are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the current obligations on postal deliveries.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recourse is available to a business if they suspect that (a) a lender and (b) an organisation or person acting on behalf of a lender is not complying with the regulations of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Bounce Back Loan Scheme rules were developed with the British Business Bank, who accredited lenders to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. Any business concerned about compliance with the scheme rules, by a lender or an organisation or person acting on behalf of a lender, should follow the lender’s complaint process in the first instance, before pursuing with the Financial Ombudsman Service, if required.Further information can be found on the Financial Ombudsman Service website: https://sme.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/complain/complaints-can-help/borrowing-money/government-backed-loan-schemes-context-covid-19-pandemic.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what rules and regulations apply to the operation of Bounce Back Loan Scheme agreements as of 24 January 2024; and whether lenders may (a) levy fees and (b) charge additional interest under the scheme.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Bounce Back Loan scheme provided financial support to businesses across the UK that faced disruption as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.A lender could provide a six-year term loan from £2,000 up to 25% of a business’ turnover, up to a maximum of £50,000. The scheme gave the lender a full (100%) government-backed guarantee against the outstanding balance of the facility.As part of the scheme design, no early repayment fees or other lender-levied fees of any type following drawdown were permitted. The Government covered the first 12 months of interest, which meant that borrowers paid 0% interest for the first year. Following that, an interest rate of 2.5% per annum applies.A list of frequently asked questions is available on the British Business Bank’s website: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/bounce-back-loans/faqs-for-small-businesses/.

Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Vehicles: Cars

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on the proportion of cars produced in the UK that were (a) electric hybrid and (b) fully electric in 2023.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department does not hold statistics on the proportion of cars produced in the UK that are fully electric or hybrid. As recently reported by SMMT, in 2023 UK production of battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV) vehicles increased to 346,451 units, up 48.0% on the year before to account for almost 38.3% of overall output.

Trade Agreements: Canada

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support businesses impacted by the suspension of trade negotiations with Canada.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The pause in negotiations does not impact our existing trade agreement with Canada, which underpins £25.9bn worth of trade a year. This agreement is comprehensive. It maintains zero tariffs on food and drink and a wide range of industrial goods, guarantees UK services companies access to the Canadian market, and protects Intellectual Property.We continue to work closely with dairy exporters to monitor the impact on recent changes to market access arrangements on cheese. We are also engaging extensively with businesses who may be impacted by impending changes to the arrangements for rules of origin.

Department for Transport

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his response to his Department's consultation entitled Managing pavement parking, which closed on 22 November 2020.

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle pavement parking on a national level.

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of pavement parking on (a) people living with visual impairments and (b) wheelchair users.

Guy Opperman: Local Authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking. The Department consulted on additional measures to help councils across England tackle this problem.The consultation asked specific questions around impairment and whether pavement parking had an impact on people leaving their homes.We are currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them and as soon as those matters are certain we will publish our formal response. The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.

Shipping: Pay

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department issues to short sea ferry services on application of the threshold for providing a declaration of equivalence under Section 3 (1) of the Seafarers Wages Act 2023.

Guy Opperman: The Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 received Royal Assent in March 2023 and its provisions require secondary legislation to bring it fully into force.The Department consulted on the first part of draft guidance in a public consultation which ran from 13 November to 11 December 2023. We will launch a further consultation on the second part in February 2024 and issue final guidance once we have completed consulting on the guidance and the draft regulations required to bring the Act fully into force.

Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions

Dame Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 3453 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, what support the Government has provided to the Powered Light Vehicle Community in the last 12 months.

Anthony Browne: The Government has provided the powered light vehicle sector with a variety of support to assist in the transition to zero emission vehicles. The plug-in motorcycle grant, introduced in 2017 to stimulate the early market for zero emission mopeds and motorcycles, has provided over £8m to support the purchase of over 12,000 zero emission mopeds and motorcycles. To grow and develop the zero-emission powered light vehicle supply chain in the UK, the Government has made up to £350,000 of funding available for research and development projects.

Department for Transport: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.

Anthony Browne: No.

Railways: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2024 to Question 11134 on Railways: Wales, if he will publish the initial prioritised list of rail improvements and investments.

Huw Merriman: The Wales Rail Board’s prioritised view of rail infrastructure improvements and investments has been provided for consideration by the UK and Welsh Governments. There are no plans to publish the list at this time.

Railways: Access

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Department for Transport during the oral question on Access for All of 8 June 2023, Official Report, column 856, what his planned timetable is for making a decision on the projects receiving funding from the Access for All programme.

Huw Merriman: As part of our recent Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of train stations across Britain. We are assessing over 300 nominations for funding under the Access for All programme. At stations awarded funding this will create an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to all platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Special Advisers

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on special advisers in the (a) 2022-23 financial year and (b) 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.

Mr Alister Jack: The information requested can be found in the Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General annual report and accounts for financial year 2022-23. This can be accessed using the following link Scotland Office Annual Report 2022-23. The figures for the current financial year 2023-24 will be published in the department’s next annual report and accounts for financial year 2023-24 and laid in parliament by the set deadlines later this calendar year. In addition to any salary costs, the department has incurred the following travel and subsistence costs in relation to Special Advisors during financial year 2022-23. Financial YearTravel & Subsistence (£)2022-2361,857

Scotland Office: Ministerial Boxes

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to his Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office has not had any ministerial red boxes reported lost or stolen in the last three years. The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.

Home Office

Body Searches

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy that police officers should not be able to strip and intimately search suspects of the opposite sex if the police officer self-identifies as the same gender as the person being searched.

Chris Philp: There are clear same-sex provisions set out in law in relation to the conduct of certain searches of persons by police officers.It is not right, safe or respectful to detainees of either sex for officers to conduct such searches on the basis of gender self-identification. All strip and intimate searches must be carried out by an officer of the same sex as the person being searched.The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has confirmed that it has withdrawn its guidance on searches by transgender officers and is conducting a thorough review.

Busking: Religious Freedom

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in light of a recent reported incident in London, whether he has issued recent guidance to the police on the rights of people to sing religious songs in a public setting.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to religious freedom and free speech, and singing religious songs outside a church is not in itself prohibited.The police are operationally independent and there is a well established process for addressing complaints.The Home Office will not be issuing guidance on the matter.

Asylum: Employment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were employed in roles on the shortage occupation list in 2023.

Tom Pursglove: Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, are eligible to apply for permission to work. Those granted permission are restricted to applying for jobs on the Shortage Occupation List. This is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee. Should an individual find successful employment, they must provide employment details when available, so that a review of their eligibility for and level of asylum support (if any) can be conducted. Failure to do so will result in any support being discontinued. The Home Office does not publish data on the number of asylum seekers who have been permitted to work.

Asylum: Employment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the time limit after which asylum seekers with outstanding claims may seek permission to work.

Tom Pursglove: Asylum seekers cannot work unless they have had their asylum claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those who apply and are granted permission to work after 12 months are restricted to applying for jobs on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). This is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee. Our current policy approach on permission to work is longstanding and there are no plans to make changes, other than aligning it with the upcoming Immigration Salary List, which replaces the SOL. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. The government has always been clear that asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the UK. Unrestricted access to employment could act as an incentive for more migrants to choose to come here illegally; leading to further dangerous journeys across the Channel and supporting the business model of people smugglers, rather than claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

Motorcycles: Anti-social Behaviour

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps he has taken to (a) tackle off-road biking and (b) work with local authorities on this issue.

Chris Philp: The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers to respond quickly and effectively to incidents of anti-social behaviour, including those that involve vehicles.Last year we launched our Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, backed by £160 million of funding, which includes increased hotspot patrolling in areas experiencing high levels of anti-social behaviour.How the police enforce off-road biking is an operational matter for the local chief officer, in conjunction with the Police and Crime Commissioner, based on local pressures and priorities.

Asylum: Children

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2024 to Questions 8423 and 8424 on Asylum: Children, for what reason his Department is unable to provide the figures requested.

Tom Pursglove: The specific data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured. Additionally, the Home Office does not hold the requested data in a reportable format.There are currently no unaccompanied children in hotels. Of the 7 hotels which were operational in 2022, 6 of those were closed permanently on 30 November 2023 and the last remaining hotel will close on 31 January 2024.

Knives

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban zombie knives.

Chris Philp: The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment, Surrender and Compensation) Order 2024 was laid in Parliament on 25 January 2024.Once the legislation has been approved by Parliament, a surrender scheme will be launched this summer to remove these knives from our streets.Once the surrender scheme has been completed, the manufacture, supply, sale and possession of zombie-style knives and machetes will be outlawed from 24 September.Additionally, through the Criminal Justice Bill, we are providing more powers for police to seize knives held in private that they believe will be used for unlawful violence, increasing the maximum penalty for the offences of selling prohibited weapons and selling knives to under 18s and creating a new offence of possessing an article with blade or point or an offensive weapon with intent to commit unlawful violence.

Forensic Science

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the standard of forensic science available to police officers on prosecution rates.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has made no direct assessment of its own, but we have worked with the National Police Chief’s Council and the Forensic Science Regulator to monitor the accreditation rates of forensic science providers.The government also put the Forensic Science Regulator on a statutory footing through the Forensic Science Regulator Act (2021) and he has the necessary powers to enforce quality standards.

Fraud: Criminal Proceedings

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was to process fraud related crimes in each year since 2015.

Chris Philp: We do not hold annual data on the public sector costs of policing and criminal justice costs (CJS) of fraud.

Drugs: Organised Crime

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps the (a) police and (b) National Crime Agency have taken to tackle county lines operations in (i) Hampshire and (ii) the UK.

Chris Philp: This Government is determined to crack down on county lines gangs which is why, through the 10-year Drug Strategy, we are bolstering our flagship County Lines Programme, investing up to £145m over three years to tackle this violent and exploitative distribution model.County lines is a national issue which affects all forces which is why, through the Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. The County Lines Programme forces (MPS, West Midlands, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and British Transport Police) also regularly conduct joint operations with importing forces. In addition, we have established a dedicated fund which provides local police forces, including Hampshire Constabulary, with additional funding to tackle county lines.Since the County Lines Programme was launched in 2019, police activity has resulted in over 5,100 line closures, over 15,600 arrests and over 8,000 safeguarding referrals. This includes over 2,100 line closures by the Programme taskforces since April 2022, meeting the Drugs Strategy commitment of over 2,000 by April 2025 in half the time.

Fire and Rescue Services: Floods

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of placing a statutory duty on fire and rescue services to plan and respond to flooding.

Chris Philp: A statutory duty for firefighters to respond to flooding is unlikely to make a significant difference to the Fire and Rescue Services, which already provide effective response to flooding incidents. This has been consistently demonstrated through the response of Fire and Rescue Services to a range of incidents including the flooding associated with recent Storms Babet, Henk and Isha in Autumn/Winter 2023/24.The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 makes provision for Fire and Rescue Services to respond to all kinds of emergencies, without providing specific duties for each type of incident. Each Fire and Rescue Authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area through their Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP), having regard to other key local responders, the top local and national risks, and the communities which they serve.Furthermore, the Government provides the Fire and Rescue Service with additional resource to tackle flooding via the provision of High-Volume Pumps and Water Rescue Assets. [Note: Water Rescue Assets are Defra Funded].

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Renewable Energy

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department plans to take to help support workers affected by the transition away from oil and gas towards renewable energy sources.

Graham Stuart: The oil and gas sector supports over 200,000 jobs and is critical to a successful energy transition. That is why the Government is providing certainty to industry through the introduction of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill as well as agreeing the North Sea Transition Deal with industry. This includes the development of an industry-led skills passport to enable workers to move between sectors, protecting jobs and ensuring their skills, which are vital for the transition, are not lost.

Electricity: Business

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofgem on (a) the impact of high energy costs on the finances of businesses that agreed new electricity contracts in the last two years and (b) taking steps to help support those businesses to agree new electricity contracts.

Amanda Solloway: Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss the energy retail market including for business customers. The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) provides all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a baseline discount on high energy bills for 12 months from April 2023 until 31 March 2024. The EBDS is helping businesses locked into contracts signed before substantial falls in wholesale prices manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again. Ofgem’s non-domestic review findings noted that more than half of suppliers are now offering contract renegotiation.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in her Department in each of the last two years.

Graham Stuart: The Department was created on 7 February 2023, and following this its ministers moved into a new Government Property Agency (GPA) Hub building at 55 Whitehall, London. GPA refurbished the ministerial office space in 55 Whitehall ahead of the Department's moving into the building.

Energy Supply: Radio Frequencies

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that energy networks have the radio spectrum access they need to deliver smart energy networks.

Andrew Bowie: Ofcom are carrying out a review of the future communication needs of the utilities (electricity, gas, and water) that is due for publication in Q4 2023-2024. The Department will draw on the recommendations of that report and, if a spectrum solution is recommended, work with the Department for Science Innovation and Technology to assist industry partners in securing the relevant spectrum allocation.

Hitachi: Wylfa Power Station

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to acquire the Wylfa site land at the book value assigned to it by Hitachi.

Andrew Bowie: Wylfa is a candidate for new nuclear and one of a number of potential sites that could host civil nuclear projects. That said, no decisions on sites have been taken at present. As a first step towards developing the new nuclear National Policy Statement, the Government is consulting on a proposed way forward for determining how new nuclear developments might be located. Separately, Great British Nuclear is working with Government to support access to potential sites for new nuclear projects.Given the NPS consultation and any discussion regarding sites would be commercially sensitive, it is too early to say more on any approach to specific sites.

Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with her international counterparts on the potential merits of the UK joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.

Graham Stuart: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) today to Question UIN 11295.

Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government plans to seek UK membership of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.

Graham Stuart: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) today to Question UIN 11295.

Renewable Energy: Investment

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to encourage green investment in the production of renewable liquid gases for decarbonising off-grid (a) homes and (b) businesses unsuitable for a heat pump.

Amanda Solloway: On 5 September 2023, during Parliamentary debates on the Energy Act, the Government committed to exploring the potential of renewable liquid fuels – including renewable liquid gases - for heat by issuing a consultation within 12 months. The Government has also taken powers in the Energy Act to impose obligations on heating fuel suppliers to increase the supply of renewable liquid heating fuels, should that be necessary.

Renewable Energy: Financial Services

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Green Taxonomy will recognise (a) advanced biofuels, (b) renewable fuels of non-biological origin and (c) recycled carbon fuels as compliant.

Amanda Solloway: The Government recognises that renewable, low carbon fuels have potential to play an important role in decarbonising sectors such as heat. The UK Green Taxonomy will be an important tool to increase transparency in the market, helping to both mobilise private investment into green activities and tackle greenwashing. Developing a usable and useful taxonomy is a complex and technical exercise. The Government continues to work at pace, and expects to publish the Taxonomy consultation shortly. The Government would welcome stakeholder input on criteria for key Net Zero sectors in the upcoming consultation.

Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill.

Graham Stuart: My Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State, and I regularly meet with a wide range of stakeholders to discuss issues relating to energy security and net zero. This includes numerous recent discussions on the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, including with international counterparts.

Fossil Fuels

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is her policy to advocate for the phase-out of fossil fuels at COP29.

Graham Stuart: At COP28 the Government championed the need to phase out unabated fossil fuels, and the Global Stocktake set a clear direction, with countries agreeing to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems to achieve net zero in keeping with the science. However, there is still a considerable way to go, and we will continue to push for further ambition in 2024 and to persuade other countries to join the UK on a Net Zero pathway.

Energy: Historic Buildings

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the guidance entitled Adapting historic homes for energy efficiency: a review of the barriers, published on 3 January 2024, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) identify and (b) tackle ineffective (i) heating and (ii) insulation within homes.

Amanda Solloway: In January 2024, the Government published the cross-government review ‘Adapting historic homes for energy efficiency: a review of the barriers’, alongside an independent research report ‘Defining and identifying complex-to-decarbonise homes’. The review looks at the practical barriers to energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures in historic homes, and sets out the actions government is taking to overcome these barriers. The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings, reducing our reliance on fossil fuel heating. In addition, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.

Energy Charter Treaty

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 4125 on Energy Charter Treaty, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on the UK's membership of Energy Charter Treaty of the recent discussions between the secretariat for the Energy Charter Treaty and OPEC on potential cooperation.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Charter Treaty Secretariat has not initiated formal cooperation with OPEC. The UK stays in touch with issues relating to the Energy Charter Treaty through regular meetings.

Energy Charter Treaty

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 4125 on Energy Charter Treaty, when her Department plans to conclude its review of the UK’s membership of the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: The Government is considering the views of stakeholders in business, civil society, and Parliament and will inform Parliament of the outcome in due course.

Energy Charter Treaty

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her planned timetable is for making a decision on the UK's membership of the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: On 1 September 2023, the UK announced it would be reviewing its membership of the ECT if the modernised Treaty was not adopted by November 2023. The Government is considering the views of stakeholders in business, civil society, and Parliament, and will inform Parliament of the outcome in due course.

Heating: Carbon Emissions

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to provide financial support to people seeking to decarbonise their heating systems but who experience challenges in (a) installing a heat pump and (b) connecting to a heat network.

Amanda Solloway: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides grants to property owners in England and Wales to replace existing fossil fuel heating with a low carbon heating system. Where a heat pump may not be suitable, the BUS provides grants of £5,000 for Biomass Boilers in off gas grid properties in rural locations. The Government has committed £485m of capital spending for heat network development (across England only) through the Green Heat Network Fund. Government does not provide financial support for domestic customers to connect to heat networks. The Government’s ‘Find ways to save energy in your home’ (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) website also helps users get tailored recommendations for their home that could make their property cheaper to heat and keep warm. Consumers can also call the home retrofit phoneline service on 0800 098 7950.

Energy Supply: Housing

Jo Gideon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of households that are (a) dual fuel, (b) connected to mains gas only and (c) connected to mains electricity only.

Jo Gideon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the number of households connected to mains electricity only that are in fuel poverty.

Amanda Solloway: The latest official Fuel Poverty Statistics for England were published in February 2023 on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics#2022-Statistics In England in 2022, 85 per cent of all households were connected to both mains gas and electricity, with 15 per cent of households connected to mains electricity only. Of the households which were not connected to the gas grid an estimated 653 thousand households were fuel poor.

Energy Supply: Housing

Jo Gideon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the added cost of (a) environmental and (b) social obligations on (i) electricity and (ii) gas bills to the average household in 2023.

Amanda Solloway: Ofgem, the energy regulator in Great Britain, administers renewable energy and social schemes on behalf of the Government and ensures that policy targets are met in an economical and consumer conscious way. A list of the current environmental and social schemes that are funded through households and business energy bills can be found on their website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes.

Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.

Graham Stuart: The UK has no plans to join the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance. However, the Government is committed to continued collaboration on phasing out unabated fossil fuels with all international partners.

Women and Equalities

Recruitment: Advertising

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring employers to publish salary information when advertising job opportunities.

Maria Caulfield: There is growing evidence to show that when salary information is not transparent, it has an impact on how people, particularly women and those from ethnic minorities, negotiate pay. This can ultimately result in lower starting salaries and smaller pay rises. In light of this, we have considered the merits of making this a requirement. However, we appreciate that some employers may find it challenging to be fully transparent about pay, and for many organisations, moving immediately to a system of full pay transparency would require a period of adjustment. We therefore do not believe that introducing a legal requirement to disclose this information is the right course of action. However, in order to encourage and assist employers in voluntarily adopting this, we are considering what further support employers may need. In addition, our pay transparency pilot will provide insights on the impact it can have.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Innovate UK: New Businesses

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support Innovate UK provides to start-up businesses that are not associated with universities.

Andrew Griffith: Innovate UK has developed a portfolio of products and services to support all UK start-ups along the innovation pathway. These can be found at: Innovation Hub which provides a complete picture of its innovation offer to UK businesses.

Universities: Business

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance the Government provides on whether universities' support for spin-outs is considered a Government subsidy for the purposes of international treaties.

Andrew Griffith: The government’s published guidance for subsidy control is relevant for all public authorities, including universities where applicable. This can be read online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-subsidy-control-statutory-guidance and at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/complying-with-the-uks-international-obligations-on-subsidy-control-guidance-for-public-authorities

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in her Department in each of the last two years.

Andrew Griffith: The Department was created on 7 February 2023. Since then, the ministerial offices were moved to collocate them with the Department’s Secretary of State, but this did not involve the refurbishment of any office space.

Energy Supply: Radio Frequencies

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and (b) Ofcom on energy networks' access to the radio spectrum in the context of the (i) smart meter rollout and (ii) implementation of a smart energy network.

Julia Lopez: DSIT Ministers have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero or Ofcom on either of these topics. DSIT officials are currently discussing the connectivity needs for future energy networks with officials at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero working together to analyse the associated use cases and options for the connectivity solutions. The Departments are also working with Ofcom, should additional spectrum be required to support this.